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MCITP worthwhile?

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I'm working towards an MCSE which I should complete in the next couple of months. When I'm done I plan to immediately study to upgrade to Server 2k8. I plan long-term to specialise in security. Is it worth doing the full 3 exams for the MCITP:Enterprise Admin or would it be better just to do the one exam for an MCTS then do other certs like the CEH?

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Candidates for this certification are IT professionals who seek a leadership role in Windows infrastructure design in a current or future job role, in which they work with Windows Server 2008.

Candidates should be experienced in:

1. Designing Windows Server infrastructures.
2. Evaluating and recommending new technology solutions.
3. Serving as an escalation point for infrastructure issues.
4. Developing client and server best practices for other teams, such as engineering, development, and operations.
5. Keeping policy current for authentication, identity, and access management.
6. Providing guidance in implementing security policies that affect the infrastructure on multiple levels.
7. Participating in application reviews on security, and ensuring that the applications adhere to standard security guidelines and practices.

I would strongly recommend working with Server 2008 before any 2008 certiications are taken and not to be used as a short-cut. Real-world experience and knowledge should be gained before certifications. Otherwise the certification itself is useless. Remember the higher end professional certifications should reflect your job role and responsibilities.

I was already working with Windows 2008 (& Longhorn while it was in beta) for over a year before I started down the 2008 certification route.

I somewhat agree, but not entirely. If you are currently doing server administration on 2K3, it's a logical step to start working towards the W2K8 certifications. That said, I would begin implementing 2K8 in a lab environment to determine the differences between 2K3 and 2K8 as soon as possible.

Yes, the candidate profile does say that the candidate "work with Windows Server 2008"... but it also says, "in a current or future job role". As long as you've got a year of server administration experience with 2K3, I say go for it, provided you start working with 2K8 NOW... not after you get certified.

Thanks Boson, that's the plan. But my actual question is, do you think it's really worth doing the three exams for the MCITP or is the MCTS enough? Would it be better if you were interested in security to just do the MCTS and then try to get a higher security cert like the CEH, or will doing the extra MS exams really pay off? I ask this mainly because most of the jobs I look at seem to like a range of certs, and therefore I'm wondering whether it's a good idea to focus (as I have done so far) exclusively on getting as many MS certs as possible or whether it's better to be broader.

Thanks Boson, that's the plan. But my actual question is, do you think it's really worth doing the three exams for the MCITP or is the MCTS enough? Would it be better if you were interested in security to just do the MCTS and then try to get a higher security cert like the CEH, or will doing the extra MS exams really pay off? I ask this mainly because most of the jobs I look at seem to like a range of certs, and therefore I'm wondering whether it's a good idea to focus (as I have done so far) exclusively on getting as many MS certs as possible or whether it's better to be broader.

Click to expand...

Opinions vary... but you can look at my broad range of certifications and see which way I might advise you take. ;)

You've got server admin experience... but how much network admin experience do you have? If you're trying to get into security, prior network administration experience gives you an advantage. I'd recommend it first, if at all possible.

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